Simmons-Read said the social media ban for under 16s, which is due to come into force in 2027, “doesn’t go far enough”, could be bypassed by criminals and could even discourage young people from speaking up about online grooming.
“We want tech platforms to invest more in detecting exploitation when it’s happening on their platforms,” he said.
A government spokesperson said it was preparing legislation to make it impossible for children to take, share or view nude images on their devices, which would make the UK the first country to do so.
“Alongside this, tech companies must be part of the solution and meet their legal and moral obligations. Where they fall short, the government will not hesitate to step in,” the spokesperson said.
Kerry Smith, chief executive of the IWF, said: “We welcome the commitment to introducing nudity blocking technology on children’s devices – but there really is no time to lose.”
Meta, which owns Instagram and Facebook, said it is working to “fight and prevent grooming in a range of ways”.
A Meta spokesperson said: “This includes restricting contact between adults and teens they’re not connected to, and using technology to find and remove known child exploitation imagery.
“We also use behavioural signals to identify accounts showing possible signs of grooming or a sexual interest in children.
“Based on the strength of the signals, we either prevent them from finding and following teens or we remove their account completely.”
Snapchat and TikTok have all been approached by the BBC for comment.
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this story, information and support can be found at the BBC’s Action Line.
